In Africa we find albinism in around 1 in every 5,000 individuals. This is puzzling, because albinism may reduce survival, for instance due to increased risk of skin cancer. What evolutionary mechanism (natural selection, mutation, genetic drift, or gene flow) is a viable explanation for the consistent observation of a few children born with albinism each generation and why?

In Africa we find albinism in around 1 in every 5,000 individuals. This is puzzling, because albinism may reduce survival, for instance due to increased risk of skin cancer. What evolutionary mechanism (natural selection, mutation, genetic drift, or gene flow) is a viable explanation for the consistent observation of a few children born with albinism each generation and why?

Human Heredity: Principles and Issues (MindTap Course List)

11th Edition

ISBN:9781305251052

Author:Michael Cummings

Publisher:Michael Cummings

Chapter19: Population Genetics And Human Evolution

Section: Chapter Questions

Problem 20QP: Natural Selection Affects the Frequency of Genetic Disorders Will a recessive allele that is lethal...

See similar textbooks

Similar questions

An hypothesis for the extinction of the dinosaurs is that the earth had been hit by a gigantic meteor that caused the death of those big reptiles. In that case the entire genetic pool of those animals has been destroyed, invalidating the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. In Genetics what is this type of gene frequency change called?
Natural Selection Affects the Frequency of Genetic Disorders Will a recessive allele that is lethal in the homozygous condition ever be completely removed from a large population by natural selection?
Evolution takes place through a combination of mechanisms at the level of populations. This process consists of a change in allele frequencies in a population over time. Consider the following scenario: You are observing a population of wild mice that has a dominant allele which produces white-colored fur, while the homozygous recessive alleles result in dark brown fur. Genetic studies have indicated that this gene for fur color follows Mendelian inheritance. Originally, the mice population was comprised of over 80% of white mice in a dark forest environment. As the local fox population increased, you noticed that there were fewer white mice and more brown-colored mice. By the end of your observation period of six months, you notice that brown-colored mice now make up over 60% of the total mice population. Based on this scenario, explain what force of evolution is at work
Evolution takes place through a combination of mechanisms at the level of populations. This process consists of a change in allele frequencies in a population over time. Consider the following scenario: You are observing a population of wild mice that has a dominant allele which produces white-colored fur, while the homozygous recessive alleles result in dark brown fur. Genetic studies have indicated that this gene for fur color follows Mendelian inheritance. Originally, the mice population was comprised of over 80% of white mice in a dark forest environment. As the local fox population increased, you noticed that there were fewer white mice and more brown-colored mice. By the end of your observation period of six months, you notice that brown-colored mice now make up over 60% of the total mice population. 1. Based on this scenario, explain what force of evolution is at work. 2. Are you observing microevolution or macroevolution? Explain your answer.
Why might some light-skinned populations, such as the Japanese, be missing the F374 allele for lighter skin pigmentation? (Hint: Consider the various forces of evolution that may be at play.)
Why is population level genetic variation important for evolution and what causes genetic variation ? How do we detect if evolution is occurring ?
The Amish community in Eastern Pennsylvania stemmed from a small closed population of around 200 individuals from Eastern Europe. Certain mutant alleles have been found at higher frequencies in the Amish relative to the general population, including a rare form of dwarfism called Ellis-Van Creveld syndrome, in which the short stature is accompanied by polydactyly. Evaluate the factors driving evolution in the Amish population. Is this form of evolution adaptive? Explain.
Natural selection means that the environment favors survival of some genotypes. From where does diversity in genotypes come?
Evolution determines the change in inherited traits over time to ensure survival. There are three variants identified as Variant 1 with high reproductive rate, eats fruits and seeds; Variant 2, thick fur, produces toxins; and Variant 3 with thick fur, fast and resistant to disease. These variants are found in a cool, wet, and soil environment. In time 0 years with cool and wet environment, the population is 50,000 with 10,000 Variant 1, 15,000 Variant 2, and 25,000 of Variant 3. Two thousand years past, the environment remained the same with constant average temperature and rainfall. Variant 1 with a population of 26,000, Variant 2, 35,000, and Variant 3, 62,000. A disease spread throughout the population. However the population increased to 72,000. Determine the percentage increase in the population of the variants.
What historical, social, religious, cultural, and economic factors promote genetic drift in humans? Can you think of some specific human groups in which genetic drift is likely to have occurred?
in general, will natural selection result in an increase or decrease in variation? Why does this happen and how, in theory, will it affect evolution in the future
Explain how natural selection might be responsible for the PTC taster polymorphism.Why might some populations have a higher frequency of the taster allele than others?